Thunder of the Elements
by Berto Bennettino
Summary: A new, dark force is awakened in Ponyville. This is a simple fan fiction that doesn't involve any humans or anything, just the characters and setting in Friendship is Magic. Feedback is greatly appreciated!
1. Chapter 1 - Stolen Into the Night

Ponyville was relatively quiet that day. Upon roaming around town, one could find the usual ponies trotting around from storefront to storefront, chatting with friends, or simply basking in some sunlight that was very recently liberated from clouds after a winter wrap-up. Everything was, for the most part, normal.

And with every normal day in Ponyville, one can count on the Cutie Mark Crusaders being bored enough to do something about it.

So out from the precariously balanced clubhouse rode Scootaloo on her scooter, with Sweetie Belle on Scootaloo's shoulders and Apple Bloom on Sweetie Belle's. Together the three of them zipped down the ramp, through a cluster of trees and straight into town. They soared over a bench where Lyra Heartstrings sat comfortably, knocked somepony into a bushel of apples in one of the outdoor markets, and sent two picnickers diving into a bush in the park. Upon reaching Twilight Sparkles' house, Scootaloo reared back with a grunt, flung the other two off of her shoulders, and leapt into the air, wings fluttering, to land in front of the massive tree with finality.

She took off her helmet and shook her head.

"Did you guys _see _that?!" she exclaimed. "….Guys?"

Dazed, Sweetie Belle stood up and coughed.

"It's hard to see anything when you're spinning through the air," she said hotly.

Apple Bloom sat up and adjusted her big, bouncy pink bow before attempting to stand, only to topple over dizzily.

"I haven't done that much jumpin' since the reunion a few weeks ago," she sputtered. She examined her right hoof. "And I didn't get any bruises from that."

Scootaloo smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry girls," she said. "I get a little carried away sometimes."

The trio jumped at a voice nearby shouting at them and turned to see a grumpy old pony with a monocle and a gray moustach walking faster that he probably had in years toward them.

"I'll getchya, ya little hooligans! You stay right there and I'll teach ya a lesson ya won't soon ferget!"

"Uh-oh," said Apple Bloom, finally managing to stand up. "Quick, get inside!"

They scrambled to the door of Twilight's house and knocked feverishly. Eventually, Spike opened the door and before he could even utter "What's all this noise abou-" the Crusaders trampled him into the house.

The old pony had reached the door and begun to ramble.

"Blasted youngins!" he said to Scootaloo, who had stumbled back to the agate door to slam it shut. "Back in mah day, we knew right from wrong. Why, when I was a filly, I woulda had to trot through snow in the middle a' summer uphill both ways b'fore-"

Scootaloo swung the door closed.

"Sheesh, I never ever wanna get old."

Inside, Spike was lying on his back on the floor, his eyes shut tight. He blinked a few times and squinted before sitting up and rubbing the back of his round, purple head.

"What was all that about?" he squeaked. "Can't you three ever just be fine with, I dunno, walking to places?"

"Sorry, Spike," said Apple Bloom. "We're a little uptight t'day."

"Oh yeah? And why is that?"

"We think we've figured out how to finally get our cutie marks!" Sweetie Belle said ecstatically.

"Uh-huh," Spike folded with stubby arms. "Well, it's not happening here. Twilight and I are very busy today and-"

"Spike!" said a voice.

The baby dragon stopped and turned. The voice, soft and reassuring, continued:

"We will always welcome three ambitious little ponies like these into our home. You know that."

And with that, Twilight Sparkle emerged from around a corner, her unicorn horn aglow, with a two hooves-full of books floating alongside side of her neat, dark purple mane. She stood there, smiling sweetly, eyes shining. With a gesture of her head, the pile of books hovered over to her desk by the back window of the house and plopped themselves down with a dusty thud.

"Yeah, I know," Spike rubbed his head again and shot the three fillies a menacing glance then smiled. "You guys make yourselves at home," he said. "….Again."

He shuffled over to the pile of books Twilight had just brought in and starting sorting through them based on some colors of their covers and the like.

"So," began Twilight definitively. "What can we help the Crusaders with today? You know this is the third time you three have been in here this week."

"Don't remind me," Scootaloo muttered as she started to meander away from the conversation.

Apple Bloom clearer her throat. "Well, we know we came in her just ta browse a few days ago, cuz we weren't really sure what it was we were lookin' for. We just thought we might be able ta find somethin' here that could help us."

Twilight's face became quizzical.

"Aaaand…." Her words were chosen carefully and slowly came out of her mouth as if they were being grinded out on an assembly line. "Now you know what it is you're looking for? And you think it's something I have here?"

"Yup!" Apple Bloom said cheerily.

On the other side of the room, Scootaloo was pondering a vial on a table filled with a dark red liquid. She tapped it a couple of times, half expecting a giant cloud of smoke to release itself from its container. Twilight turned at the sound of the tapping.

"Oh, please don't touch that, Scootaloo," she said. "I'm not sure what's in there yet and I'd rather not have it all over the floor. Spike, could you take that down to the lab?"

"Certainly!" the little dragon beamed. Once he had left, Sweetie Belle explained their situation.

"We think it might help us to learn more about the history of this place," she said. "Maybe we could find something out about Ponyville that would help us figure out more about ourselves!"

Twilight smiled again. "I take it you girls are getting tired of swinging through trees and attempting to perform circus acts in the middle of town."

"Hey!" Scootaloo shouted. "I would've crossed that tightrope easily if _somepony_ hadn't sneezed while standing on my head." She looked over to Apple Bloom.

"What?" Apple Bloom replied. "The wind blew a dandelion right up mah nose!"

Twilight giggled. "I think I have just the book for you three."

"I was afraid you would say that," Scootaloo sighed.

Twilight's horn shimmered again, and this time she brought forth a large, brown, beaten up book that sported a golden unicorn emblazoned on the cover. She held it suspended in air in front of the three Crusaders' faces.

"This book here has anything and everything you need to know about the legends of stories of Equestria," said Twilight proudly. "Well, most of them, anyway. In fact, this is where I first read about the Elements of Harmony!"

"Wow, really?!" exclaimed Apple Bloom. "Works fer me!"

"Me too!" said Sweetie Belle. "C'mon, Scootaloo!"

Scootaloo, who was distracted watching Owlowiscious biting his feathers in his sleep, snapped back to the conversation.

"What? Oh, yeah sure, okay!"

"Thanks Twilight!" Apple Bloom said. "We'll return this as soon as possible."

"Sure thing, my little ponies. See you soon!"

Scootaloo trotted over and opened the door.

"-I could get to where I was goin'. And another thing!"

"Wha-? Have you been here this whole time?!"

The old pony stood at Twilight's door, uttering a cluster of words that sounded like they were forming sentences but actually weren't. While he sputtered with a tongue-twister he created just by talking, the Crusaders looked at one another and proceeded to slide around him, close the door, and sneak off.

"Let's take this to the clubhouse," suggested Sweetie Belle. "I think a lot of the stuff in this book is found in the Everfree Forest, so we can start there once we take a look at it!"

The old pony looked at them, still standing in front of Twilight's door.

"But that was after she broke m'heart and took away all m'record collections. Oh, the cat? Well, he's alright, I s'pose, given his condition with those park rangers. I never thought….well now hey, where'd you hoofigans say you was headed? The Everfree Forest? Why, just the other day I was walking along the outside of them there trees, when I heard this noise like a meteor crashin' down and I….eh?"

With the murmur of a motor and the whizzing of wheels, the Cutie Mark Crusaders zipped off from where they came, away from the old pony, away from Twilight and Spike, away from Ponyville, into a vibrant late afternoon dusk that quietly brewed a steaming mug of chaos.

Safe inside their clubhouse resting in the trees, the Crusaders perused the pages of legends Twilight had lent to them. Scootaloo would typically sit down and listen whenever either of the other two would pipe up with an "Ooh, look at this!" but typically wandered about from window to window, growing restless and more agitated with every page turned. At one point she even appeared to take a nap in the corner, feigning a loud snore, only to realize her friends weren't paying any attention to her and return to fidgeting by herself. Eventually, she let out what had been plaguing her.

"We know all of these already! At least the important ones!"

The other two looked up at her, then to each other.

"And which ones're the important ones?" asked Apple Bloom.

"The Elements of Harmony! And….and Discord!" Scootaloo returned. "One of them is really really good for us and protects us and the other one wants nothing more than to live in craziness! They're like polar opposites. Those are the only things we need to know about our history, I told you that. Have you two found anything else that might be important?"

They looked at each other again.

"Well, I guess not," said Sweetie Belle. "I was hoping something might be in here about the Mirror Pool but I got nothin'."

"The Mirror Pool?" Scootaloo was puzzled. "That puddle in the cave that Pinkie used to create a bunch of clones for herself not too long ago? What use would that be?"

"Maybe we could use it to make copies of ourselves. Then we could find our cutie marks faster."

"But Sweetie Belle," interjected Apple Bloom. "Ya'll saw what happened when Pinkie Pie used it. The copies wouldn't actually _be _us. 'Sides, what if one of the copies got a cutie mark instead of us?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Sweetie Belle hung her head. "I guess this plan hasn't worked out so well for us, either."

Scootaloo jumped.

"Did you guys hear that?"

Silence. Scootaloo's eyes were open wide.

"Um, hear what, Scootaloo?" asked Apple Bloom, looking around.

"That rustling," Scootaloo replied quietly, hunched down and shivering.

The sun was setting.

"You're just still worked up over that camping trip a few weeks ago," said Sweetie Belle.

"Sssh!"

Silence again. The trees outside began to lose their vibrant color as the darkness rolled in and swallowed it.

"It….it's probably just the wind," Apple Bloom said, starting to look worried as she realized Scootaloo wasn't joking.

"It wasn't windy at all today. Look at the trees."

The three of them swiftly glanced out the nearest window and noticed nothing was moving. The shadows elongated with the setting sun and suddenly were erased as total darkness rushed in like waves at high tide.

"M-maybe we should get going," said Sweetie Belle shakily.

"Yeah," replied Apple Bloom. "Mah sister's gonna be wonderin' where I am. See you gals back here tomorrow?"

A tapping at the door. The Crusaders leapt into the air and clutched each other, not a one of them daring to move or speak.

Scootaloo suddenly thought back to that same camping trip weeks ago. Blurred visions of the mysterious Princess Luna floated around her head, as well as the shadowy Headless Horse. Her thoughts became clearer. Luna would protect us, right? We can't possibly be in any danger. Besides, I'm sure it's just Applejack coming to get us. She sure is taking awhile, though….

After a long period of further silence, she finally let go of her two comrades and crept to the door of the clubhouse.

"Scootaloo, don't!" Sweetie Belle whispered. Apple Bloom waved her arms frantically next to her.

"We can't sit up here all night," Scootaloo said facing the door. She turned her head. "Are you with me?"

The other two looked to each other pleadingly, and both realized that the other wasn't going to say anything to object. They rose and joined Scootaloo at the door. Closing her eyes and letting out a whisp of chilled breath, she stretched her hoof out, twisted the knob, and let the door swing slowly open by itself.

Dark.

Their eyes darted to and fro, looking for a tree branch or squirrel or anything that might have caused the noises. They even hoped it might just be a bored Pinkie Pie, looking for someone to prank….

Something twitched in the shadows. The Crusaders gasped and froze for a moment before collectively making a dash down the board that connected clubhouse to ground. As they stumbled over each other, the walkway suddenly shook and shifted, toppling over and sending the trio careening down to Earth with a yelp. Scrambling to get up, Apple Bloom looked up to see a shadow blacker than the dense night itself envelope them.

Quiet. Back in Ponyville, residents began to slumber peacefully unaware.

Applejack stood on her hind legs with her front hooves on the windowsill, holding her head slightly out into the stale night air. She stayed just like that for quite some time before Big Macintosh finally stepped inside to see what was happening. She looked behind her at him, saw his concern, and went back to peering outside.

"I'm gettin' a little worried here, Bic Mac," she said. "Apple Bloom's never out this late."

Big Mac joined her by the window, looking out at the tops of the apple trees forming a skyline under the stars.

"I s'pose I'd better go find 'er," Applejack continued, stepping down from the window. "Hopefully I won't be long. Tell Granny she can have that last slice a' pie. That is, unless you want it, a'course."

"Nope."

"Alright, I'll be back, then."

With that, she trotted out from her home into the night. When she reached the clubhouse, she tripped over the fallen walkway and looked up to see the light still on inside.

"You girls still up there?" she hollered up. "It's gettin' real late now. I don't mind if you three're spendin' the night up here, I'd just like to know first."

She waited for a response that never came.

"Girls? Apple Bloom? Ah'm comin' up!"

She nudged the board with her nose and propped it up on her back, then proceeded to walk in such a way that allowed it to lean back up against the clubhouse balcony and rest there. She climbed up and peered inside.

"Hello?"

The clubhouse was still. She glanced around and noticed a brown book lying open on the floor.

"What nonsense are those three gettin' themselves into know?"

She looked down at the book and saw that a few pages had been ripped out. She then flipped the book over to reveal its brown and gold cover.

"I've seen this book b'fore!" she declared to nopony. "This is Twilight's! And they just gone and ripped pages out of it. Ooh, they're in trouble now."

She grabbed the book, balanced it on her head under her trademark hat, turned out the light, and trotted back down the boardwalk and into Ponyville.

Ponyville at night is an interesting place. Ever since the uproar with Nightmare Moon a few years back, many ponies have realized that, especially in warmer weather, the night can be a peaceful and quiet place to reflect on things. Applejack passed a pony couple going for a walk in the park, as well as a few more chatting outside of one of the stores just now being closed up. Everywhere was relaxed and calm, as the stars twinkled above.

Then came to music. As soon as Applejack turned the corner headed to Rarity's boutique, a brilliant display of lights and color exploded as a group of ponies were seen dancing and jumping around. And of course, a pink streak kept zipping from one pony to the next, offering sweet treats and a chance to dance.

"It must be somepony's birthday today," Applejack said to herself, half smiling.

She walked up to Rarity's place and knocked. Rarity answered with a towel wrapped around her head and a green beauty mask covering her face.

"Why, Applejack!" she beamed. "Come on in, I have some cucumber sandwiches waiting."

"Oh, no, that's fine, thank ya, Rarity," said Applejack. "I just had me half a' one of Granny's pies."

"Very well, then," Rarity said. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this late-night visit?"

"Well, I was hopin' you might be able ta tell me where my little sister ran off to. I wasn't sure if you'd seen Sweetie Belle at all today."

"No, I haven't, but I wasn't planning on it, either. Are they not in their little clubhouse?"

"Nope, checked there," Applejack was growing visibly more distraught. "All I found was this book a' Twilight's all torn up."

She removed her hat and let the book slide off of her mane and onto the pavement in front of Rarity's door.

"Hm," Rarity scratched her chin. "That's rather odd. I don't suppose they're at Twilight's then?"

"I dunno, I haven't been there yet. I guess that's mah next stop."

"Oh, well do wait a bit," said Rarity. "I'll come along with you. If my little Sweetie Belle is getting into trouble I'd like to know about it."

She turned and trotted daintily into another room. A few splashing noises were heard and a moment later she emerged, freshened and beautiful, to join Applejack as the two headed for Twilight's.

As it was getting later, fewer and fewer ponies were wandering the streets. A stillness had begun to set in, and the only sounds still hovering about were those of the late-night party fading into the distance. Rarity pleasantly walked alongside Applejack, her head held high even though no one was even around to see how proper she was. She happened to glance to her left to see Applejack's distant and distracted look.

"Applejack, darling," she said. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. You know those three are always getting into some shenanigans or whatever."

"I know, I know," said Applejack, still gazing worriedly at the road below her hooves. "But even when they're doin' the craziest of things, mah sister still lets us know what it is. 'Specially if it's gon' be at night."

"Of course, but everpony makes forgetful mistakes. Especially our little ones."

"I guess you're right. Hopefully Twilight can tell us a little more 'bout what's goin' on."

By the time they had reached Twilight's door, the night had fallen to a lukewarm silence. Only a couple of cricket chirps were heard somewhere by their feet, but they paid no mind to that.

They knocked on the giant tree. Spike opened the door with a yawn.

"Oh, Rarity!" he smiled wide at the sight of her shining beauty. "And….Applejack. Um, what's up, you two?"

"Hey Spike," said Applejack. "You and Twilight didn't happen to see our sisters here earlier, didjya?"

"Oh, yeah, they were here. They stopped by asking Twilight for a book or something."

"Would it happen to be this one here?"

Again, Applejack bowed her head and let her hat slip off, carrying the weight of the book down with it to plop on the ground.

"Eh, I'm not sure," Spike said, looking at it. "That's one of Twilight's favorites, I can't imagine she would give that away."

"What about me?" said Twilight's voice from Spike. He stepped aside. "Oh, hey girls!"

"Good evening, Twilight, dear," said Rarity. Spike nearly collapsed at the sound of her luscious voice. "We seem to have a bit of a problem locating our little ones."

"Oh! Well, they did stop by here earlier." Twilight glanced at the ground where the book lay inside Applejack's hat. "To borrow….that. Um….what happened to it?

"Not sure," said Applejack. "I found it like this in their clubhouse with some pages torn out."

Twilight's unicorn horn glittered and the book sprung out of the hat and creaked open. Several pages flipped as if blown by a breeze and stopped where the pages were ripped and crinkled.

"The pages about the Elements of Harmony are missing," she said, suddenly growing worried. "Spike, do me a favor and put that on my desk."

Spike grabbed it from midair and hopped back into the house.

"Did they happen to say what they were doing with it?" asked Rarity.

"Yeah, but they were vague. They were just looking for something historical that might help them learn more about themselves. Normally I wouldn't give that book away but they seemed so eager I couldn't turn them down…."

"Well now what could they want with the Elements?" Applejack said, her voice getting louder. "And where did they even say they were goin'?"

"I could tell ya that!"

The three ponies looked around to see a feeble, elderly pony bearing a monocle and a gray moustache walking shakily over to them.

"Uh, beg yer pardon?" said Applejack.

"I saw them three youngins shootin' away outta here just earlier t'day!" he said, knees trembling. "They were so rude, runnin' away like that in the middle of m'story. I was just tellin' 'em 'bout how once back in the times o' war I used to be able ta shoot a slingshot like nopony's business! I'd just stick it up against a rock, pull back wif mah teef like dis, and let 'er go! Boy, in my prime I coulda taken out a dozen pigeons just by-"

"I'm terribly sorry," interrupted Rarity. "Did you say you could tell us where they were going?"

"Where who was going?"

"Our sisters."

"And who are you?"

"Well, I'm Rarity. And this here's Applejack and Twilight."

"Well….yer a pretty one, you are. As are yer friends here. How's about I take ya all out ta dinner tomorrow and-"

"No, no thank you, that's rather kind," Rarity was getting annoyed. "But we'd really just like to find our sisters."

"Yer what?"

"Our. Sisters."

"_And _ya got sisters? Well t'day's just my lucky day!"

"No, our _little_ sisters. They're fillies."

"Ehh, well, easy come, easy go."

A pause.

"Now then, as I was sayin'. I used to rock climb in my younger days. I'd latch a buckle around me and hoist m'self up to a-"

"WHERE ARE OUR SISTERS?!"

The old pony flinched at the sound of Rarity's suddenly booming voice. After a beat he cleared his throat.

"Ehh, they said something about goin' to the Everfree Forest, as I recall," he said, voice quaking.

"Oh, great," said Applejack, rolling her eyes. "Of all the places ta be in the middle of the night."

"Well, thank you for your help, sir," said Twilight, grimacing and hoping she didn't just start him off on another tangent.

He blinked.

"Sure."

And with that, the old pony turned on his hooves and creaked feebly back into the night.

"Wow, you sure gave him a scare, Rarity," said Twilight. "Spike, could you watch the house for a bit? We need to go looking for the Crusaders."

No response.

"Spike?"

Rarity stepped forward.

"Here, let me try. He always comes at the sound of my voice. Ahem….oh Spikey Wiiiikeeeeyyyy!"

Still no answer.

"Hmph," Rarity spouted. "Well _that's _strange."

Twilight walked back into the house and toward the desk where she told Spike to put the book.

"Spike! Where'd you go?"

Trotting up to the desk, she looked down and saw the book shredded and tattered, lying there as if claws had scratched at it hungrily. Beside the book rested a parchment that looked like one of Spike's with words written on it in the kind of ink he often used:

I'VE TAKEN YOUR CRUSADERS AND HID THEM WELL

AND FINDING THEM TAKES MORE THAN A SPELL

NOW I'VE STOLEN YOUR DRAGON TOO

I FEAR ONLY THE ELEMENTS WITHIN YOU

Twilight gasped loudly and stared down at her desk, her eyes whiter than the torn pages before her. She stood there, rooted to the floor, even after Applejack and Rarity walked up to either side of her to see what she saw. They both gasped even louder, and a tear welled up in Rarity's eye.

"How could we let this happen?" asked Twilight, finally breaking the stilled silence. "How could _I_ let this happen?"

"None of this is your fault, sugarcube," said Applejack, placing her hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Don't you worry now, we'll find 'em."

A sudden squawking shook them from their shock. Twilight looked down at the floor under the desk and saw Owlowiscious there, blindfolded and gagged with a wadded up ball of some of the book's ripped pages.

"Owlowicsious!"

She magically snatched the wad from the poor owl's beak and took the blindfold off, then levitated him up onto the desk where he lay there, panting heavily.

"Who did all of this?!"

She slid the parchment over and discovered more words, this time written in a fancy cursive.

Do you like my good friend's rhymes? I know I do! I've always been a sucker for a good bit of poetry. Surely you can understand that, right dearest Twilight?

Well, I have to get going now. I hope you all are in for brilliant fireworks display of chaos!

Ta ta!

And under that, a single, large, four-fingered paw print was there, moist with fresh ink.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Search Party

Rainbow Dash yawned loudly.

"I wonder what the big hubbub is that we have to meet everypony at _this _time of night."

"I have no idea. They just told me to fly up here to grab you and meet at Twilight's house. It's a little….frightening."

Fluttershy glided gracefully next to her as the two pegasi drifted down from Cloudsdale through the stagnant midnight air. Fluttershy had her well-known look of concern pasted on her gentle face, while Rainbow Dash looked dreadfully annoyed as she scratched the area under her right wing with her left hoof.

"I mean, the last time this happened it was just because Rarity's dumb cat had gotten loose," complained Rainbow Dash. "And after we looked around for seventy-trillion hours, Pinkie found her sleeping under Rarity's bed. Ohh, if it's that cat again…."

"I don't think so. Twilight sounded like she was on the verge of tears," added the motherly Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "I bet she just ripped a page in one of her books again."

"Then why would she need us?"

"Heck if I know. Moral support?"

They slowed to a stop and mechanically folded their wings back up against their sides as Rainbow Dash knocked on Twilight's looming tree. Applejack greeted them with a distraught complexion and let them inside to show them the crime scene.

"Oh my goodness, this is horrible!" Fluttershy squeaked.

"They took Spike? And the Crusaders?! They. Took. SCOOTALOO?!" Rainbow Dash said furiously. "Alright, lemme at 'em! I'll show them a thing or two about stealing friends!" She pumped her hooves and did a few aerial flips to get her energy flowing.

"That's just the thing," said Twilight. "We don't even know where to start. This almost looks like Discord's returned but…."

"But….what?" asked Rarity.

Twilight swallowed. "He was frozen in statue form again. I don't even know how that's possible."

"Why don't you just send a letter to Celestia?" asked Rainbow Dash, still performing midair stunts.

"I need Spike to do that," responded Twilight. "And it looks like he doesn't have any paper or ink to do it himself."

"Well, we think they might'a gone into the Everfree Forest," chimed Applejack. "So we could always start there."

Fluttershy gulped loudly.

"It's our only option at this point," Twilight said with a strong hint of reluctance in her soothing voice. "And we may as well get started." She thought for a moment. "Does anypony know where Pinkie Pie is?"

"I do believe she's at that obnoxiously loud birthday party over by my shop," said Rarity.

"Then let's go get her," said Twilight. "I have a feeling, according to this letter, that we'll need all six of us there…."

The five ponies stepped out into the night; Twilight leading, Applejack right by her side, Rarity a few paces back fighting with a bug of some sort that was attracted to her scent, Rainbow Dash hovering above the ground still kicking and beating up the air, and Fluttershy bringing up the rear, not saying anything, but simply following along with a slightly slumped head and tiny little mutterings drifting from her lips. They approached the party, still going strong and providing the only ounce of noise left lingering over the town.

The lights slammed off. The music screeched to a halt. Everypony who was dancing in the giant huddle stopped and looked around, confused. Pinkie, who had jumped up on top of a random pony's head to get a better look, glanced over to a bewildered Vinyl Scratch who shrugged in return.

"Okay, what's the big idea?!" Pinkie shouted.

The ground suddenly started to rumble. Several gasps from the on looking crowd were drowned out as the shaking increased. A single, solitary light flipped on and pierced the eyes of Twilight and the others. They all looked up and saw a wavering shadow, floating just above the light, with two slanted, dark purple eyes judging them. Pinkie Pie watched this creature with disgust for ruining her party, and finally pointed at it.

"And just who the heck are you?!"

It spoke back in an echoing voice that rumbled in rhythm with the trembling ground.

"CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE. YOUR DAYS HERE IN PEACE ARE NUMBERED. PREPARE TO HAVE YOUR TOWN AS YOU KNOW IT ERASED FROM THE MAP BY THIS TIME TOMORROW."

Every member of this shadow's audience looked on and not a one of them moved. Pinkie, abandoning reason, continued her volley with her new foe.

"Wait! Just how do you plan on 'erasing' us, huh? Are you gonna take a giant pencil and rub it everywhere?" She paused. "Actually, that'd be kinda cool….but don't think you can get away with it, Mister!"

The shadow only stared at her. Then, ignoring her comments, it shifted its blackness into an all too familiar shape. Another handful of gasps were heard.

Twilight's mouth hung open. "….Discord?"

And just as suddenly as it appeared, it swirled into itself and vanished. The quaking stopped, and the only thing left in its wake was the loud clamor of ponies running to and fro and whispering among themselves. Pinkie, still standing on somepony's head, looked here and there to find where the thing went, only to suddenly spot her friends and leap toward them with a beaming smile.

"Hey girls! What are you guys doing here? Wasn't that awesome?! I mean, it interrupted the party but clearly somepony went through a lot of trouble to-"

"Pinkie!" shouted Twilight. "Listen."

Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing.

"Spike and the Crusaders have been taken. We don't know where they are but we found a letter saying they were stolen, and it almost looks like…." She trailed off. Swallowing again, she continued, "….It almost looks like Discord is back."

Pinkie's eyes grew wide.

"Whaaaaaaat?! But how is that even possible?!"

"We don't know, but it's not important right now," Twilight said reassuringly. "What is important is that we find the little ones."

"They're probably so scared right now," piped Fluttershy.

"Okay, soooo where do we start?" asked Pinkie.

"The Everfree Forest. That's where we hear they've been."

The group left the huddle of amazed ponies, which was rapidly thinning out as the town had become even more quiet in the absence of the party. They trotted on in silence toward the forest, not sure where to look or what to do, only knowing they had to begin somewhere.

"Maybe we should stop by Zecora's place," offered Applejack, breaking a quietness that caused the others to jump a little bit. "She might'a seen the fillies t'day, if they were by here."

At this the others agreed, and when they reach Zecora's hut amidst the trees, they noticed candles flickering inside. Twilight knocked.

No answer. She knocked again.

"Zecora? Hello?"

She tried the knob and found the door to be unlocked. Peering inside, she saw a slew of broken glass littering the floor and no sign of life anywhere.

"Zecora!"

She ran inside to investigate, followed by the others.

"What in tarnation happened here?" asked Applejack.

"It looks like she was struggling with something," said Fluttershy.

"Don't tell me they took her too!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash.

Twilight examined the glass. No form of liquid joined it there on the floor. She squeezed her eyes shut to think.

"She wasn't, by chance, at the party tonight, Pinkie?" asked Rarity.

"Nope! I could list everypony who was there, and she wasn't one of them," Pinkie replied. "There was Cheerilee, Time Turner, Bon Bon, Vinyl Scratch of course, Snowball, Octavia…."

Twilight's mind was flooding with thoughts.

"….that guy who likes tubs of jelly, Mayor Mare…."

The letter. The first part was written in rhyme.

"….the Cool Mule with the sunglasses…."

_Finding them takes more than a spell_. Who else is familiar with spells? The Forest….

"….a few of Fluttershy's squirrels…."

Twilight's eyes popped open.

"It can't be…."

Rarity stuck a hoof to Pinkie's mouth and looked over to her.

"Twilight, did you say something?"

They all looked at her now, with her head bowed to ground-level, gazing blankly at the floor. She blinked a couple of times and stood back up, looking back.

"Oh, no, sorry….I was just thinking to myself. I-I don't think there's anything here, we should keep going."

They all stared at her for a moment then slowly started to walk back out. As Twilight reached the door, she looked behind her to the broken glass.

She heard a faint whisper.

"Hello?" she whispered back nervously.

An eerie silence followed. She quickly joined the others outside and closed the door.

A few hours passed searching the forest and the group was looking ragged. They found a small cave and poked around inside, found nothing, and decided to rest for a bit. By the time they were all ready again, the sun was nearing Celestia's beckoning and still they had gotten nowhere. As they gathered outside the cave before dawn, Twilight announced a plan.

"Okay, what if we split up? We can take three different directions in pairs. Everypony knows how to get back to Ponyville if it's absolutely necessary. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy will be in different pairs so that two of the three have somepony who can fly up and see where they are. I'll be in the third pair so I can levitate whoever is with me and get the same effect. Everypony got it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Of course."

"Ready when you are!"

"I guess so…."

"Yippee, how fun!"

"Great. Okay, how about Rainbow Dash and Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack, and myself with Pinkie Pie."

With these words, the pairings went and stood next to each other. Pinkie practically tackled Twilight and squeezed her tight.

"We'll be the best pair EVER!"

"Okay, everypony! Rarity and I can both use our magic to send out a distress signal if it's needed or if we find anything so we can join back together. Applejack has some little fireworks under her hat she can use for that, right A.J.?"

"Sure do!" Applejack responded.

"Wow, is there anything you _don't _have in there?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Yup. Apple Bloom. And that's what I'm after, as well as the others."

Pinkie reached under Applejack's hat and pulled out a rubber chicken.

"Oh, there you are, Charlie!" she said as she slipped it back.

"Good luck to all of you," concluded Twilight. "Remember, we'll all still be close."

The three duos all hugged and departed, each in a different direction but all of them with the same common goal.

The sun's early rays began to twinkle over the mountaintop.

Spike's eyes squinted open. He laid there, on his back, his vision incredibly blurry. He sat up and rubbed his head and tried to adjust himself. One paw on the ground for balance, one foot solidly up, then the other foot, then rising to a standing position. He blinked feverishly until the scene in front of him became more tangible.

He stood there, stunned.

Walking a few paces forward, he noticed he was at the top of a large cliff, miles away from Ponyville, miles away from his friends, miles away from anything, really. Looking down, all he saw was a dense collection of trees. Looking behind him, there was a small carving in the wall of rock he had been laying in front of where three other figures appeared to be sleeping.

He walked a little closer.

"….Apple Bloom? Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo? What….?"

He turned back around at stared at the distant horizon in shocked silence.


	3. Chapter 3 - Unexpected Company

"Come on, guys, wake up."

Spike nudged Apple Bloom, who twitched and rolled over on her other side. To his left, Scootaloo grumbled in her slumber. To his right, Sweetie Belle was lying on her back, tongue rolled out, quietly gurgling.

He walked over to her.

"Hey, Sweetie Belle. Get up. Come on, let's go. Something's….happened…."

She stirred and stretched and blinked her eyes open.

"….S….S….Spike….?"

Spike breathed out a sigh of relief and helped her sit up.

"Spike….where….where are we?"

"I don't know," replied the little dragon. "I just woke up here with you guys a bit ago."

Sweetie Belle, now sitting upright and looking about her dazedly, suddenly let out a tiny gasp of shock.

"Spike, where _are _we?" she asked again.

She stood up fully now, as did he, and together they approached the edge of the cliff.

"It's not too far down," Spike noted. "But I don't even know how we ended up here in the first place."

"Is it just us?"

Spike looked behind him. Sweetie Belle followed his gaze and squeaked "Oh!" at the sight of her comrades lying there in the carving of the mountainside. She ran over to them, limping slightly.

"Apple Bloom!" she shouted. "Scootaloo!"

She poked Scootaloo with her foot, who groaned and squeezed her eyes tighter before opening them and looking up and Sweetie Belle and Spike with a blank face.

"Uhh….what's going on?"

They helped her up and she brushed some dust off of her wing and examined her surroundings.

"And what the hay are we doing up here?"

"Do you guys remember anything before you fell asleep?" asked Spike.

"Well, I know we didn't just go to sleep up here," replied Scootaloo. She looked at Sweetie Belle. "Did we?"

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "This is really starting to freak me out."

The three of them turned at the sound of some rustling at their feet and watched as Apple Bloom sat up with her back to them, rubbed her eyes, opened them, looked around her crazily, and finally noticed them watching her.

"Guys!" she yelled frantically. "What's goin' on? How'd we all end up here?"

"That's what we were just trying to figure out," said Scootaloo.

"Well don't ya remember what happened?"

"….No. Do you?"

"Of course! We were in the clubhouse lookin' at Twilight's book when we tried to leave and somethin' grabbed us!"

Spike slapped his forehead.

"Oh yeah!" he said. "Applejack and Rarity came by looking for you guys. Applejack had the book, which was all beaten up, and….and….and I went to put it on Twilight's desk and…." He stopped and racked his brain. "Gah, what _happened_?"

"Obviously there's some mischief going on here," said Sweetie Belle. "And it's too crafty to be one of Pinkie Pie's pranks."

"Well, I looked around a bit," said Spike. "And there's a kind of path going down to the bottom starting over there. We could try to go down and find our way back."

"Through the forest?" Apple Bloom retorted. "Are you crazy?"

"Then what should we do?" asked Scootaloo. "Just sit up here and wait for someone to come get us?"

An hour later they hadn't moved.

Scootaloo growled. "That's it! I'm going out. I can't just sit around like this. So, who's with me?"

The other three looked at one another, and after a moment of silence, Spike rose and joined her, motioning to the others to do the same.

And so they did, and so together the four of them began traipsing down the path into the forest below, not sure which direction would take them back home. They just knew they were hungry and thirsty, so when they stumbled on a quiet shimmering river that wound its way through the feet of the trees, they took the opportunity to rinse their faces and take a drink.

Sweetie Belle took a slurp from the river and stood near Spike, who was sitting on the bank with his feet in the water, waiting for the others to finish drinking.

"Who do you think stuck us out here?" she asked him.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "I just hope there isn't something terrible happening back home right now."

"Yeah, me too," Sweetie Belle paused, watching her wiggling reflection in the current. She then noticed Spike's and saw the look of miserable concern that had taken over his normally cheery face. "You okay?"

Spike looked up at her. "I will be," he said, trying to smile. "I just….I never imagined so much happening to us in such a few short years. Twilight and I….everything was just so simple back in Canterlot. And now here I am, trapped in the middle of a forest far from home." He sighed slowly.

"It's not so bad," said Sweetie Belle. "I mean, despite everything changing, you've never been alone, right?"

Spike actually smiled at her this time. "You're right. I haven't. And even when I felt like it, I guess I never really ever _have_ been."

The two sat there together until Apple Bloom called from behind them.

"Are ya ready? We should prob'ly get goin' again."

The group stayed huddled close to each other as they continued through the woods in no particular direction. They just kept going straight, hoping that eventually it would lead them to some sort of civilization.

They reached a clearing and Apple Bloom looked up at the sun. Shading her eyes, she swept her gaze around the tops of the trees and noticed a small lump of white in the distance.

"Guys, stop!" she shouted. "Look over there!"

Spike considered the bump for a beat. "Hey, wait a minute," he said. "That looks like the peak of Canterlot! And Ponyville isn't far from the bottom of that mountain! We're headed in the right direction, everyone."

Amidst the couple of tired "horrays" from the group came a loud shuffling in the trees. They all froze and looked around, their pupils darting. From across the clearing, three figures slid their way out from some bushes, eyes glowing, teeth snarling, and legs bent, ready to plunge.

"T-t-timberwolves?!" cried Sweetie Belle.

Spike groaned. "Haven't I had enough of these things lately?"

Scootaloo bumped him with her elbow. "Spike, can't you use your fire or something?"

He started to shiver. "No, I can't. I haven't learned how to completely control it yet! I'd burn down the forest!"

The wolves drew closer, analyzing their prey.

"Well that's fine s'long as they burn too!" yelled Apple Bloom.

"Then we'll be trapped by fire!" Spike replied. "And I don't think I could even make enough to get them all anyway."

Scootaloo gulped. "Well, then, I guess we have no choice but to…."

The three wolves pounced.

"RUN!"

With a rush of air they were off, back out of the clearing toward the looming mountain in the distance. Their lungs were crushed from breathing and their legs weighed down with fatigue, but they managed to dodge trees and shrubs as the bigger wolves were forced to leap and bound their way toward them. Panting furiously, the four of them hopped across some rocks over another stream. The wolves took the wet route and splashed their way through, giving the Crusaders and Spike a bit of extra space.

A ledge.

They halted at the top of it, towering over the rest of the woods that rolled along where they wanted to go. They turned back around and found the timber trio there, dripping and growling, slowing to a creep but still advancing.

"What do we _do_?!" shouted Scootaloo.

"Jump?" Apple Bloom yelled back.

Just before they turned to make the leap of faith, there was a shout.

"Geronimooooooo!"

From out of the trees swung a blur clinging to a rope. The group looked on startled as the figure outstretched its legs and bucked the wolf in the lead with powerful gusto, causing it to topple over and scramble back up. The three wolves' gazes were now averted to the newcomer, who was a valiant stallion with a moustache and two sacks slung over his shoulder.

"Go!" he cried to them. "I'll hold them off!"

Without hesitation, they stepped off the ledge and slid down its dusty side to the grass below. Once at the bottom, they helped each other up and took off running again. Spike, however, stopped at turned back around. The stallion had taken the whip he used as a swing and was snapping it at the wolves, shouting a variety of adventurous lingo.

"Have at you! Tallyho!"

"Spike, what are you doing? Come on!" Sweetie Belle said.

"But what if he needs our help?" said the dragon.

Just then, a second figure appeared from behind the wolves. A stunningly beautiful mare with a pale blond mane and canteens straddled to her side, she reached over her shoulder and grabbed an arrow in her teeth. The corresponding bow in her hoof, she slid the weapon into its string, pulled back with her mouth, and, standing on her other three hooves, released its sting straight into the wolf closest to her male counterpart with deadly accuracy. She repeated this with the other two, and the trio began to wobble around and bump into each other before tripping drunkenly back into the trees.

Spike stood there aghast. The other three joined him in his amazement.

"….Wow" he uttered.

The two ponies, breathing heavily, laughed at each other and joined at the top of the ledge for a kiss. They then looked down at the shocked gang below them and slid down to the grass where they stood, swaying slightly in relief.

"Howdy there," said the stallion. "You guys are sure good at runnin'!"

The mare beamed. "Is everyone alright?"

The group nodded in unison, still speechless.

Brushing some dirt off of his shoulder, the stallion chuckled. "Grand! My name is Fuji, and this here's mah wife, Valencia."

"Pleasure to meet you!" said Valencia.

"We're what ya might call explorers," continued Fuji. "Wanderin' all of Equestria for no reason other'n the thrill of adventure and ta just know what the world looks like. Would ya'll like some fruit? Ya looked famished."

"Please!" said Spike. Fuji leaned over and shook himself a little bit and one of the bags around his flank opened up, spilling out some apples and oranges. The group ate happily, and Spike introduced them. "I'm Spike, and these are the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders'. They don't have their cutie marks yet."

Scootaloo kicked him. "We're exploring our options," she said proudly.

"Exploring's a great thing to do at your age," said Valencia. "But, what are a little dragon and a trio of fillies doing out here in White Tail Woods?"

"_That's _where we are?" said Apple Bloom.

"That's not far from Ponyville!" said Sweetie Belle excitedly. "We just learned about it in class a few weeks ago."

"So ya'll are from Ponyville, eh?" asked Fuji. Upon seeing them nod, he said, "Well then, so what _are _ya doing out here?"

"We're….not sure," said Spike, swallowing a bite of apple. "We think someone took us and left us out here, and that something terrible is happening back home. So that's where we're headed. Home." He added that last word with a longing look over his shoulder.

"We-heh-ell, then!" said Fuji, kicking one hoof over the other in a relaxed fashion and looking at Valencia. "Sounds like they're on their own journey!"

"Won't you stay with us?" asked Scootaloo. "At least until we get there?"

"Sorry, missy," replied Fuji. "This here is yer own tale, and we're just background characters in it."

"We've found that you learn things much more thoroughly if you experience them on your own," said Valencia. "With help from loved ones when it's needed."

"Or sometimes complete strangers!" added Fuji.

"Don't worry, little ones," Valencia said in response to their dejected faces. "We'll help you out of the woods, at least. Then it's only a short trip out in the open away from the creatures in here to your home."

The group agreed at this, and together the six of them traveled on. Fuji began to tell them stories of their adventures. And above them, glistening like fire, the sun crept downward toward day's end.


	4. Chapter 4 - Burning Bright

Rarity's hooves dragged in the dirt.

"Oh, this search has become absolutely dreadful," she spouted. "We _have_ to have looked over this entire forest by now."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

"Rarity, this is your sister we're after," she said. "Show a little spring in that step or we'll never find her."

"I do miss my dear Sweetie Belle," Rarity said, shading her face when the sun's beams suddenly struck her glistening eyes. "And certainly I'm worried about her, but….ugh, I'm just beginning to think they're not here."

Rainbow Dash's face went from an expression of determination to one of careful consideration.

""Yeah…." she said. "You'd think we would've heard something by now." She suddenly stopped and faced Rarity. "But we can't give up. You know that, right?"

Rarity sighed. "Yes, yes, of course. I know that. It's just….I haven't really been there for her all the time…." She squeezed her eyes shut and a tiny tear bubbled and trailed down her cheek, dropping onto the soil below.

Rainbow Dash looked on with a sudden empathy.

"Don't worry about that," she said. "You two are one of the greatest pairs of sisters I know!"

Rarity looked up and said, "How many pairs of sisters do you know?"

"That's not important," replied Rainbow Dash quickly. "What is important is that we find her and the others, and as long as you keep going and don't quit, that'll show her how much you care for her! Right?"

Rarity sniffled. "Yes, I suppose you're quite right, Dashie." She stomped her hoof defiantly. "We must press on. Don't let me hold us back."

"That's the spirit!" Rainbow Dash beamed. "Now I'm going to go take another quick look up high, so wait here and rest a moment."

She sprung up into the air and hovered high above the trees, gazing down below and looking for any sign of movement or anything that wasn't colored green or brown.

"Phew," she said quietly. "I can't believe that actually worked."

Down on the ground waiting below, Rarity sat against a tree. She hung her head for a moment, not too happy with how much time she had spent in the woods without any kind of freshening up. She felt dusty and weary, and a few strands of her gorgeous, dark blue mane were frizzled and dirty. 'How does Dash do it?' she thought to herself. 'How do they all do it? How can they remain so calm and collected in these situations? I'm only holding them back….'

As her overdramatic mind swirled these thoughts like bees around their hive, Rarity suddenly felt her horn trembling. She looked up at it curiously.

"Well, now, how long have you been doing that?" she asked aloud.

And then she was on all fours. Quivering with the scent of something precious, her horn was starting to tug the rest of her toward a small, rocky hill just around the nearest corner of trees. Trying to resist, Rarity found her front hooves digging deep into the soil and scampering against the random impulses of her magic.

"Ngh….stop….this….grr….right….now!"

One of her hooves slipped upward and she lost her balance. She braced herself for a collision with the ground but only felt her body twist into a backflip and plummet her, belly down, into the dirt and begin to drag her around the trees.

"You haven't acted up like this in months!" she screamed in between mouthfuls of grass and dust. "Wherever are you taking me?!"

Rainbow Dash rubbed her tired eyes and hovered for another brief moment longer up above before the sounds of scuffling perked up her ears. She looked down.

"Rarity….?"

A shimmering white light was tracing its way around the trees, pulling behind it the struggling beauty queen.

"Rarity!"

Rainbow Dash zipped down and grabbed a hold of Rarity's back legs and shoved her own into the ground. She opened up her wings and full length to act like a sort of parachute as Rarity and her disobedient horn slowed to a crawl at this sudden tug-of-war.

"Ow!" cried Rarity. "Not so tight of a grip around the ankles, Dash!"

"Well excuse me for trying to help!"

The duo was now halted directly in front of the opening to a small looking cave. It was the kind of cave that wasn't too impressive in terms of height but looked like it stretched deep into the mountain like a dank tunnel. Rarity's horn continued to put up a fight and illuminated the tunnel's jagged edges and moist walls.

"Rarity!" Rainbow Dash hollered, starting to lose her grip on her friend's ankles. "Can't you control that thing?"

Rarity sneered. "Please don't call it a 'thing', Dashie! You'll offend it! And no, sometimes it does this on its own and the only way to stop it is to find what it's after or resist it for long enough."

"Well then what is it after?!" Rainbow Dash's wings begin to flap as they started inching toward the cave again.

"There are probably—ouch!—some diamonds or other jewels buried in there that it's just sniffing out. And she doesn't seem like she's stopping anytime soon…."

Rainbow Dash glared at the back of Rarity's mane. "….'She?'"

Her grip suddenly slipped and Rarity plunged with a shout into the dark tunnel ahead. Rainbow Dash careened backward but adjusted herself in midair and streaked in after her. She tackled Rarity and together the two of them, pulled by Rarity's horn, slid down and down and down and down until they plummeted into a heap of something incredibly shiny. They poked their heads out of the jumble of jewels just in time for Rarity's horn to send out a couple of tiny, celebratory sparks before dimming out and returning to normal.

The cave was still.

"Well, I hope you're happy," Rainbow Dash said snidely, lifting herself out of the mountain of glittering colors. Rarity beamed.

"Oh, how I would be if this were any other circumstance!" she exclaimed as she started perusing her newfound vast collection. With Rainbow Dash looking on with contempt, Rarity suddenly froze. A tear welled in her eye as the realization of what was happening came into light. She looked up apologetically.

"I am….so…so sorry…" she said. When Rainbow Dash said nothing but instead started to look confused, she continued, "All my life I've been….so concerned with petty little diamonds. My magic can't even help but go after them, even when my sister is out there somewhere, lost and in trouble!"

Rainbow Dash's folded arms dropped to her side as she kept floating just above the heap.

"You would think, after all of this time, that I would've figured out that there are things more important to life that….shiny material objects!"

Rarity backhooved several gems against the wall of the cave. The resounding echo sped throughout various other caverns around them.

Rainbow Dash's mouth hung open.

"I have such great friends and family, and….and….and I care more about clothes than any of them!"

"That's not true!" Rainbow Dash blurted out. "Fashion is your career, it's your whole life! You _should_ care about it!"

Rarity whaled. "But that's the whole po-hoi-hoi-hoiiiint! My whole….life….is about….getting….ponies….to wear…a bunch….of useless stuff!" Her sobs interrupted her every couple of words.

Something rumbled further inside the cave. Neither of them noticed.

"But you have friends and family who love you for that! We love you for you!" Rainbow Dash grabbed Rarity's shoulders to stop her flailing about. She stopped, sniffled, and watched Rainbow Dash with giant, dazzling orbs of eyes and a slightly pouted lip.

"Sure, you might be a bit obsessed with fashion and jewelry…." A little more liquid brewed up in Rarity's mesmerizing eyes again. Rainbow Dash noticed this and changed her tactic quickly. "But it's how you use it that matters! You use these gems because they mean something to you, because they're a part of you. They're what makes you….well, you! You use them in your designs to express yourself, to show off your artistic talent, to….to….show that you're unique."

Her slightly raspy voice choked a little bit at the sound of what she was saying and the sight of her friend's quivering lip.

"You have a gift, Rarity. And you use these jewels to bring out that gift. Most ponies cherish them for money or hoard them to brag to everypony they know, but you….you want to make a statement. A fashion statement, yes….but a statement nonetheless!"

Rarity wiped her arm across her face and smiled something heartwarming.

"That's the greatest thing I've ever heard you say, Dashie." She paused. "Thank you."

Rainbow Dash sat down next to her and helped her up. "I mean, look at me for crying out loud. All I care about is speed and winning. How self-centered is that?"

Rarity sniffled again. "It's a flaw of yours, yes, to be so extremely competitive. But….oh, I'm not very good at these things….but it's a great quality, too."

Her winged friend raised an eyebrow.

"Well, think about it," Rarity continued. "Think about how many ponies you inspire with your dedication! With your gusto, your never-ending pursuit of greatness! What's so wrong about that? So many others look up to you because your need for speed makes for quite the confidence. And anypony who has confidence in themselves to do great things….will find a way to do great things!"

Rainbow Dash smiled. "Thanks, Rarity." She thought about this for a moment. "Now come on, let's not sit around at the bottom of a cave all day. It's almost sunset, you know."

Just then, the walls began trembling with hunger and several rocks balanced on ledges above them hurtled down into the pool of gems.

"What on earth is that?!" shouted Rarity.

Stunned, they watched as a part of the cave in front of them began to crack and send shudders down the spine of the mountain.

"Why didn't we think of this earlier?" asked Rainbow Dash in disbelief.

"What? Think of what?!"

"Wherever you find a bunch of jewels in a cave, you're bound to come across a-"

The wall smashed into oblivion and the proceeding debris flung itself outward in a furious blizzard of stone and diamond.

"DRAGON! LET'S GO, RARITY!"

The beast lunged out them. It was a massive creature with a golden gut and ivory teeth that sat like razor-edged pearls in its ravenous jaws. It let out a curdling roar and bashed against the walls, narrowly missing the pair as Rainbow Dash grabbed Rarity and lifted herself up the chute they skidded down from. The strike blew open half of the supporting rock and the cave began to envelope within itself.

A falling rock glanced off of Rainbow Dash's head and she dropped, disoriented, down into the depths of gems below.

Rarity let out a scream just before she collided into the diamond hills for a second time. But they weren't shimmering anymore, and instead as she scrambled out from under them she noticed the only color they had was that of the blue and orange blaze that was steaming from the dragon's nostrils. She yelped and ducked as the monster took in a deep breath and flung a ball of angry inferno at her, upset at having been disturbed during its slumber.

The flames punched the barrier of gems Rarity was hiding behind and she could feel them lurching around to sneak in a fiery kiss. Once they had subsided, she looked around frantically and called out to Rainbow Dash, but was not greeted with a response.

Another blast of flame. This one felt closer, like the dragon was moving in.

Rarity cowered behind her diamond veil. She saw a cluster of jewels being flung about as the dragon slashed at her barricade in the corner of the cave. She called out again to find the same empty response.

Another fiery burst. Her ruffled mane was sure to be singed by now.

She squeezed her eyes shut. She thought of her dear little Sweetie Belle. What if she was being held captive by this ferocious monster? She thought of Rainbow Dash's words. They rang true, it was what she had been secretly waiting to hear ever since Fluttershy insulted her passion during her brief spell as a "newly born" pony. She thought of Spike, and how adorable he was, and how he was of the same kind as this thing attacking her. She thought of her parents, and of the rest of the gang, and of Opal, and of her boutique.

Yet another shot of fire cut through her wall and blasted it apart. She could feel the dragon's yellow eyes staring right into her. And at that moment, something struck.

"I've had enough of you, mister!"

She sprang up and leapt off to the side as the magnificent beast bashed against the wall she had just been facing. She whirled around and faced the dragon, and put her skills to work.

"Piece by piece!"

Her horn twinkled. A flock of rocks lifted up and surrounded her. The dragon, rubbing its aching head, started to stand back up.

"Snip by snip!"

The rocks danced into action and crashed into one another in such a way to form a miniature army of sharp boulders.

"Croup, dock, haunch!"

The boulders lifted higher so they were eye level with their target. The dragon shook its head about and regained its balance.

"Shoulders, hip!"

Rarity spread out her stance and glared at her attacker. She bent down way low so as to appear intimidating despite the size comparison and adjusted herself right underneath her group of weapons.

"Thread by thread!"

One by one the rocks were launched at the towering monster. Taken off guard, it stumbled backward as it slapped the air to avoid the onslaught.

"Primmed and pressed!"

A boulder made contact and crushed itself into the dragon's snout. It fell back and landed against a wall, slightly slouched.

"Yard by yard!"

Rarity advanced on the situation. With each step she took forward, her graceful symphony of rocks and cut diamonds streaked across the stale cavern air and met their enemy with increasing power and precision.

"Never stressed!"

With one final collection of blows, the dragon toppled over with a thunderous bang, spurts of fire still breathing from his nose. Rarity released her hold on her orchestral attack and let the rocks fall down upon the dragon, crushing its back but not its head. It was still a living thing, after all.

The dust settled. Rarity looked at the dragon lying there, motionless. She swept some pebbles off of her shoulders and straightened out her mane as best as she could with her hooves. She still looked amazing.

"And _that's _the art of the dress."

She looked around at the returned stillness of the cave and called out again to Rainbow Dash. While she awaited a reply, a faint rustling caught her attention just a few feet from her.

"Rainbow?!"

She waded through rock and gem and found a tuff of rainbow hair wedged in the rubble. She lifted some debris away magically and there was Rainbow Dash, stirring slightly and badly bruised. Her eyes blinked open.

Rarity breathed a great sigh of relief. "Oh, I'm so glad you're alright. We took quite the fall there…."

Rainbow Dash looked up at her and smiled weakly.

"Thank you, Rarity," she muttered. "You're pretty cool for a fashionista."

Rarity helped her up. "And you're pretty stylish for a speed demon."

They shared a laugh and Rainbow Dash flew them back up through the tunnel back to the late afternoon sun. They squinted through the blinding light and sat against the cave's outer wall.

"We should rest a bit, but not for too long," suggested Rarity. "That beast down there is bound to wake up soon."

"Agreed," said Rainbow Dash. "And as long as it comes after us out here, I'll have the advantage!" Her wings flew out sportingly. "I just can't believe you took that thing out! How'd you do it?"

"Oh, it wasn't much at all, really. It just took a little-"

She stopped and so did her heart.

There, right in front of her, in the shade of a tree they had stood by not ten minutes ago, was little Sweetie Belle, smiling bright.


	5. Chapter 5 - The Rocker and The Roller

"Twilight, dear, are you feeling alright?"

She wasn't. Her mind ached with a rushing river of thoughts and an absent look of concentration mixed with mild worry had been painted on her face ever since they had left Zecora's place. Her usually neat, straight mane was as ruffled as it gets when she has her bouts with overzealous stress, and the normal gleam to her purple coat wasn't near as evident as it had been over a day ago. Her brain pummeled itself in search for the answers to what was happening, but never could a string of thoughts collect itself into an organized map of the situation.

Currently, she sat slumping at a wooden bench just outside of a tall, oak barn. Across from her was Pinkie Pie, happily munching away at a pink and purple frosted cake. Next to Pinkie was Pinkie's mother, the mare who had asked her the question she was presently ignoring. Her fur was gray in color and her mane more of a dark silver. She wore a blue jewel around her neck and yellow-rimmed spectacles in front of her blue eyes.

Twilight had no recollection of how or when they had arrived at Pinkie's family's rock farm.

Everything after her and her friends split up was annoyingly foggy, since the entire trip had been spent lost in deep, concerning thought over the scene inside Zecora's hut while Pinkie Pie hopped alongside of her calling out the names of the lost fillies and thinking up of games they could play while they searched. Twilight would vaguely answer Pinkie's questions about what she was thinking of or what she was looking at, to which Pinkie would usually reply, "Well, okay, yeah….but _which _tree is it?" or "No, silly! Do you even _see_ a griffon out here?" or "Antidisestablawhatnow?! How can I be thinking of something that I don't even know how to say?" and so on until Twilight would guess what the answer was and Pinkie would think of something else, thus repeating the process.

And somehow along the way, they had ended up near the rock farm. Twilight had heard Pinkie ecstatically shout something about visiting her parents and splitting a cake with her, and here they were. Over and over again the same thoughts penetrated her conscious like the pickaxes that were cracking stones into shards just a few feet away from her.

_Hid them well…More than a spell…._

Whack!

_Your dragon too…Elements within you…._

Clink!

_The Forest…the rhyming…Discord…shadows…_

Smash!

_Zecora…Zecora…Zecora…Elements…_

"It just can't be."

"I'm sorry?"

Twilight hadn't realized she had spoken those words out loud again. She came to and looked up at Pinkie, who was studying her, mouth crammed with cake. Then she looked to Pinkie's mother, whose quizzical face forced her to finally say something.

"I'm….sorry. I'm just having trouble making sense of this whole thing."

"What whole thing, dear?"

"Well…." Twilight collected her broken thoughts. "I find it hard to believe that Discord has returned. Princess Celestia sealed him for good and it would take some heavy magic to break him out…."

"And we all know heavy magic is your strength, eh Twilight?" piped Pinkie before taking another bite.

Twilight smiled slightly. "I guess it is. But that letter that he….or whoever it was….wrote….it seemed like the first part was written by somepony else."

"You mean da partth that rhymedth?" asked Pinkie.

"Yeah, that part."

"Well, do you girls know anypony in Ponyville who likes to rhyme things?"

Pinkie swallowed. "Well duh! Zecora!"

Twilight watched as Pinkie Pie stopped, the gears spinning now inside her head. She slowly set down the little bit of cake she had left and stared hard and somberly right into Twilight's eyes.

"Twilight," she began, choosing her words carefully (which she rarely ever did). "You don't think that….that…."

Her mother was watching her now with that same puzzled look as before. "….That what, Pinkamena?"

Pinkie's lower lip started to pout ever so slightly. She gulped.

"That _Zecora_ is behind all of this….do you?"

They both looked at Twilight.

"Well….I…"

Before she had a chance to continue, a tiny pebble struck her temple.

"Well, if it isn't Twilight Sparkle!"

Twilight turned to see a dashing royal blue mare with a streaky white mane and glowing purple eyes approaching. She wore a confident yet pleasing smile as she strutted up to the bench.

"Trixie!"

"The one and only!" replied Trixie, running her hoof through her hair and letting it flow out and cascade back down around her shoulders.

"What are you doing here?"

"Remember how I said I worked at a rock farm after I left Ponyville the first time? Well, this is the one!"

"Trixie has been helping us here for a couple of years, now," said Pinkie's mother.

Pinkie growled. "I still can't believe you guys hired her here."

"Never fear, Pinkie Pie," Trixie said. "I've changed since you saw me last. You guys showed me that my overconfidence was really hurting me. So, I'm humbly appreciating the work here while I save up to start a new magic show!"

"Oh, that's great!" said Twilight. "I'm glad you're doing so well now."

"I've never been happier! And I have you and your friends to thank, Twilight."

Twilight beamed at her. It warmed her heart knowing that what she had learned from her friends and Celestia since she arrived in Ponyville so long ago was reaching out to help others too. Pinkie leapt up and hugged Trixie tight.

"Yay!" she exclaimed. "Any day that a new friend is made is a great day in my book!"

Twilight blinked.

"Of course!" she shouted, startling the other three. "The book! How could I have forgotten about it?!"

"Whatever are you talking about, Twilight?" asked Trixie, having been put down by Pinkie.

"Oh, goodness, I'm sorry, Trixie. Something crazy is happening back home and we're trying to figure out what it is."

"Well geez, what happened?"

"Some dark entity is terrorizing the town and he….I mean, _it_, has taken a few of our loved ones from us as hostages…."

"Are you kidding me?! Twilight, I'm so sorry!"

Twilight's brain was frantically sprinting a 100-yard dash that didn't seem to have a finish line. Aside from the mess in Zecora's hut, the book she lent to the fillies and its ripped up pages were the only things that appeared to hold any clues.

"The book I gave to the Crusaders had some pages missing," she began. "They were the pages that covered some of the bigger pieces of Equestrian history."

"You mean like how a sofa-and-quills shop has somehow managed to stay open for 20 years?" asked Pinkie.

"Not quite. History like how the Elements of Harmony work, as well as information on legends and figures like Discord and the Mirror Pool."

"So, what do you think they want with that stuff?" asked Pinkie's mother.

"That letter mentions how they only fear the elements within us. That _has_ to mean the Elements of Harmony."

Pinkie Pie held her hooves up to her head as she pieced things together with Twilight.

"But the Elements of Harmony only work if we use them, right?" she asked.

"Right!" Twilight said, her voice growing more emphatic. "Which could be why this thing ponynapped the fillies and Spike. It wanted us to go on this chase so we weren't near the Elements when it attacks the town or….whatever it's going to do."

Trixie stood next to Twilight, watching the situation unravel with shocked eyes and a gaping mouth.

"But….but then…." She stuttered, not quite sure where to begin. "Who's behind all of this if it's not that Discord fellow?"

"I can't say for sure it isn't him," said Twilight. "That shadowy figure at the party last night seemed to take his shape for a moment before disappearing."

Pinkie looked very discouraged as she sat staring at nothing in particular in front of her. A sickening uneasy feeling had just swept through her and she was positive it wasn't the sweets.

"So, Twilight," she started steadily. "Do you think we should stop looking and head back to Ponyville with the others? So we can use the Elements to stop this guy?"

A long moment of anchor-heavy silence moored Twilight's ship of thoughts as it was circling around in search of a dock. She abandoned it to consider this question and, ultimately, the decision that would follow. If they continued searching for the Crusaders and Spike, she thought, then what would become of the town? It was only a few hours away from sunset, and from there only a short matter of time until this creature returned. But if they stopped the hunt and instead tried to find the others and go back to prevent it from doing whatever it was going to do, then what would happen to the fillies? And poor Spike….wherever he was….

The silence continued for several minutes. Pinkie Pie resumed eating her cake a little less ravenously so she could listen in case Twilight, who was trying in vain to find some kind of path for them to start, came up with an answer. After a while, Trixie announced she had to return to her work and wished them good luck, letting them know that she was there for help if it was needed. Pinkie's mother then joined her and the two returned to the farm, leaving Twilight and Pinkie Pie by the bench in deep thought.

Twilight sparked.

"Trixie!" she called, and after a moment the magical blue mare came back around from behind the barn to where an eager Twilight and bewildered Pinkie awaited her.

"What is it, Twilight?" she asked. "Did you figure something out?"

"Kind of, yeah, but it's going to need your help."

"My help?" Trixie looked concerned. "Look, Twilight, I know I offered it to you but I'm not entirely sure there's anything I can do to-"

Twilight cut her off. "Pinkie, do me a favor and go find your parents!"

"Aye, aye, Captain Sparkle!" And she whizzed off in a pink cloud of dust to the farm.

"Twilight, what are-"

"Trixie, I know this is asking a lot from you…"

"I really don't like where this is going…."

"And I know we haven't been friends for very long…."

"I'm the Great and Mild-Mannered Trixie now, I don't think I can…."

"But you still are a talented unicorn…."

"Twilight, please reconsider whatever it is you're thinking of right now…."

Pinkie returned with her parents, bouncing around with excitement because she recognized the face of determination that Twilight currently had.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pie," addressed Twilight. "I'm wondering if I might be able to borrow Trixie for a bit of time. I will be more than willing to help make up for any lost workload that might take place in her absence, but right now she's needed elsewhere."

Pinkie's parents looked at each other. Her father, a dusty brown stallion with stoic, golden eyes and a wise and grizzled gray mane, grunted slightly and smiled at his wife. Together they nodded, as the father said, "We'd be honored to help our daughter and her friends protect those they love the most."

Pinkie squeezed them both in a tight embrace. Twilight looked back to Trixie and put her hoof on Trixie's shoulder reassuringly.

"Trixie," she said. "I need your great and powerful magic and friendship to be as brave as they ever have tonight."

"Whatever are you asking of me?" Trixie asked, looking worried and confident at the same time.

"I need you to return to Ponyville and do your best to stall that creature when he shows himself tonight while we continue to look for the others."

"You need me to _what_?!"

"Please, listen to me," Twilight smiled at her friend. "Even though you were using a dark amulet the last time we dueled, I could still see that you have some greatness inside of you. You just need to learn how to use it to actually make yourself a better mare rather than just making it _look_ like you're great."

Trixie looked away and down and the dirt below her. She then looked at her hooves, covered in dust, and smiled.

"I've secretly always wanted to get down to the nitty gritty," she said. "I'll do whatever it takes to distract that thing from causing any harm."

"Yippee!" cried Pinkie. She left her hug with her parents and wrapped Twilight and Trixie together, and the three of them stood there for a moment. Twilight closed her eyes and suddenly she felt invincible, like nothing was going to stop them. She let this warmth flow through fiber of her being and let it all collect itself at the top of her shimmering horn, where it began to dazzle in a bright light.

"Um….hey, everyone? Over here!"

She opened her eyes at the sound of this new voice and they all turned toward the barn where Pinkie's two sisters stood there waving. The one who had spoken was a strikingly gorgeous young mare, with a clean gray coat slightly darker than her mother's and a mane that was softer than silk that collected itself in a tuff of hair that fell mysteriously before her purple eyes. Her sister, who was equally beautiful, had a much shorter and lighter colored mane with a light purple coat and a face that seemed more pleasant that her sibling's.

"We found this little one roaming around the farm," said the second sister. "And we think she might belong to you."

Twilight watched with stricken amazement as Scootaloo ran out from around the corner of the barn and launched herself at the group, landing with fluttering wings and a bright smile in front of them.

"Scootaloo!" shouted Twilight. "How did you….where did….omigosh I can't believe you're here!"

Scootaloo said nothing and instead started making a collection of random engine noises. She zoomed around them all as fast as her little legs could carry her, occasionally jumping into the air, attempting some kind of flip, landing on her face, and getting up and continuing.

"Uh….Scootaloo?" Twilight watched this with concerned curiosity. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Never better!" the filly spouted. "Wheeee!"

She leapt up on Pinkie's father's back and started jumping up and down. At first, he smiled and bounced with her, having been used to this from one of his often joyous daughters. But then Scootaloo began to walk forward and step on the top of his head, to which he instinctively shook her off.

"Is she….always like this?" he asked.

"She has a knack for stunts," said Twilight. "But no, she's never this crazy. Scootaloo, what happened to you?"

The filly ignored this and kept right on running and jumping.

"This is so strange," pondered Twilight aloud. "She's not herself. Scootaloo might have a low attention span sometimes but here she doesn't even understand what's going on. It's almost as if she-"

Twilight stopped herself.

"As if she what, Twilight?" asked Trixie.

Twilight thought back to the missing pages of her book.

"As if she isn't the real Scootaloo."

The glowing beam in her horn shot out a burst of color in a miniature fireworks display that she was certain would be seen from across the land.


End file.
